


Ani L'Dodi, v'Dodi Li

by elrhiarhodan



Series: EoBarry Revealed [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, EoBarry Revealed, Eobarry, Fluff, Happily Ever After, Immortal Speedsters in Love, Love, M/M, Married Speedsters, Schmoop, a touch of angst, barrison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-25 22:59:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7550539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrhiarhodan/pseuds/elrhiarhodan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine"</i> as is written in the Song of Songs which is Solomon.  </p><p>In this universe, Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne are not mortal enemies, but immortal lovers - and husbands.  They are approaching a very important anniversary, and Barry wants to give his Eo an extraordinary gift to mark the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ani L'Dodi, v'Dodi Li

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kyele](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyele/gifts).



> Part of the EoBarry Revealed series, and also something of a timestamp for a much longer story that hasn't been completed (not for the lack of effort - it just seems to require a lot more words than I'd originally planned).
> 
> A gift for Kyele (@timeforalongstory), whose encouragement for the aforementioned epic has kept the brain weasels and the suck voices at bay. Last night, she was lamenting the lack of fluff for this pairing and I thought that something needed to be done about that.

**2187**

Barry sighed and wondered what to get his husband for their hundred and sixty-third wedding anniversary. It wasn't like there were any lists that covered marriages that lasted this long. And truthfully, they'd stopped exchanging presents somewhere around the seventy-fifth year – although they'd never stopped marking the day.

The love he had for Eobard and the love that was returned still had the power to amaze him, to stop him in his tracks, and to make his breath catch in wonder.

They weren't perfect – far from it. There were moments when Eo drove him nuts with the risks he took, or when he made some morally questionable decisions. Just as Barry knew that _he_ made his husband crazy with the risks _he_ took, with his insistence on seeing the best in people – even in the ones who were trying to kill him.

And of course there were times when their own complex personalities made their day-to-day lives difficult. They were both prone to bouts of self-doubt and handled it in their own – often incompatible – ways. Barry would withdraw and try to do everything himself. Eobard would become needy, seeking validation of his worth. If they were both caught in the weeds at the same time, the pain sometimes became unbearable. 

But they always managed to remember that their foundation was built not on some idealized fantasy of perfection, but on a hard-won battleground of trust and respect and love.

Barry curled around Eo, burying his face at the sweet part of his neck and breathed deeply. No matter how badly either one of them fucked up, they never fucked up so badly that they didn't come back to this. 

Eo murmured, "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing, just thinking about you. About how happy you make me."

"A hundred and sixty-two years, and you're still a sap." 

Eo's words ruffled his hair, sent a shiver across his scalp. Barry smiled and pressed a kiss against Eo's skin. "I love you. Have I told you that lately?"

"Hmm, let me think." Eo rolled over so they were face-to-face. "If I recall correctly – "

"And you always do."

"You told me you loved me last night, right after you came for the fourth time."

Barry grinned. "I think it was the fifth time."

Eo gave him that quick, bright smile that Barry adored. "Are you saying I'm wrong?"

"Hmm, it's possible. It's been known to happen."

"And yet you just confirmed my infallible memory."

Barry knew they were both being silly – Eo loved to get him into these verbal traps. But there was one surefire way to stop it. He kissed his husband, he pulled him close and let his world begin and end in the bright fire of Eobard Thawne's eyes. The sweet heat of his lips, the weight and mass of his body. 

Eobard pulled back, just long enough to tell him, "I love you, too."

Barry couldn't think of a better way to end an argument.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Over breakfast, Barry was still contemplating his problem. What do you get the man who has everything? He let out a heartfelt sigh.

"That can't be good." Eo refilled their coffee cups and sat down, his expression troubled.

"No – it's fine."

"Barry – " Eo gave him that look. The one that never failed to make him vibrate with happiness. The one that was impossible to resist.

"Okay, okay. I'm just trying to figure out what to get you for our anniversary."

"Our anniversary?"

"It's next week. A hundred and sixty-three years. That's a bit of a milestone, wouldn't you say?"

Eo grinned. "Something of a record, probably. But we haven't exchanged gifts in a while. Why this year?"

Barry was surprised that Eo hadn't realized the importance of the year, and he wasn't going to explain, so he just shrugged. "Just felt like it. I haven't given you a gift in a long time."

"I wouldn't say that." Eo stroked his cheek. "At the risk of sounding like something out of a greeting card, your love is all the gift I want or need."

Barry blushed and captured Eo's hand, pressing a kiss against it. Just by luck, his lips landing on Eo's wedding band. He rubbed his thumb on the other side of the ring and couldn't help but note how thin the gold had become. His own ring was similarly worn. He'd never really thought about it, but they'd been wearing their bands for over a hundred and sixty years. Lifetime after lifetime after lifetime.

Barry knew what he was getting Eo for their anniversary. And he knew just where to get it.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"It's a big year, isn't it?" Cisco leaned back and grinned.

"Yeah. And I'm kind of surprised that Eo doesn't realize it."

"Well, a hundred and sixty-third anniversary doesn't have quite the same ring as one's hundred and fiftieth." Cisco grinned. "And dude, I think you need to stop counting. What's going to happen when you get to your two hundredth?"

"Fuck his brains out?"

"That's something that happens every night between you. And for the record, _eeew_. I don't need the details. I've seen far too much of you two over the years."

"And you've enjoyed every moment of it." Barry couldn't help but reply. Cisco was an essential part of their lives. He kept them sane and they kept him grounded. Great power might come with great responsibility, but meeting those responsibilities required great friendships, too. And when you're immortal, those friendships are treasured.

"So, nothing like leaving things to the last minute. Your anniversary is today. What do you need from me?"

"I have an idea for this." Barry pulled a small pouch out of his pocket. It held both Eo's wedding band and his. "They are our original rings and they're getting a little thin. I was thinking maybe you could make us new bands and use the gold from these?"

"What am I, your personal jeweler now?"

"I seem to recall your fascination with another ring and all the months you spent trying to recreate it. You've still got the casting equipment, so this shouldn't be a problem. I need two simple bands."

"Barry, when it comes to you and your little requests, nothing is every simple. And you're only giving me a day? You couldn't come to me a couple of weeks ago?"

Barry rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, I didn't think of having our rings remade until a couple of days ago. And Eo is going to freak out when he can't find his wedding band or if he notices that I'm not wearing mine. If you can't do it, then I'll have to think of something else." He didn't want to just purchase a new pair of wedding bands, it wouldn't be the same.

"You two are really quite attached to your symbols, aren't you?" Cisco wasn't referring to their mirror-image emblems, but to the tangible markers of their love. 

"They're talismans. They connect us."

Cisco huffed, but Barry didn't know if it was in annoyance or agreement. 

His friend pulled out a pad of paper, made a quick sketch and showed it to him. "How is this? I'm thinking that you're probably better off with pure platinum. It's got a lot of properties that are compatible with a long life on a speedster's hand."

Barry agreed. "Do you have any, or should I just run down to the local refinery and pick up some for you?"

Cisco didn't pick up on the sarcasm. "No, I have a supply on hand. It's useful for a variety of projects."

Barry knew better than to asked exactly what those projects were. Cisco's hobbies had become more and more esoteric over the years. He followed Cisco into his workroom and watched his friend get into his element – creating something useful and beautiful.

Cisco pulled his waist-length hair back and into a sloppy man-bun, and gave Barry a dirty look, challenging him to comment. Barry just smiled back. A century ago, Cisco's hair had turned completely white and Barry loved to tease him that he looked like something out of Lord of the Rings.

The day went quickly and by the time the sun had set, Barry had a new pair of wedding bands. Cisco gave the rings a final buff with a small cloth and handed them back to Barry. "Pleased?"

Barry touched the bands, loving the coolness of the metal against his skin. "Yes, very much." He slipped them back into their pouch, and tucked that carefully into one of the suit's pocket. He gave his friend a hug. "Thank you. You are the best."

Cisco wormed his way free. "Yeah, I know. Now get out of here, you big romantic dope."

Barry sped away, hoping to beat Eobard back to their home. For the last few decades, they'd been in exile from Central City - living in the former Queen Mansion. It wasn't by choice but practical necessity. His husband was a living paradox. From 2151, the year Eobard was borne, he had two separate existences within the same timeline, and his presence in Central City could be disastrous.

But not for much longer. Barry smiled at the thought. 

The lights were on when he got home, but the house looked like it had been ransacked. Barry sped through the rooms, each one tossed, clothes pulled out of the closets, drawers upended, bedding torn away. Nothing more than disorder – no vandalism. Then he heard a shout of pained frustration from the library.

It sounded like Eo.

It was. Eo was speeding around the room in a blaze of red lightning. Books were flying off the shelves like missiles. Barry didn't try to stop his husband, he just caught volume after volume – these were all old and rare and precious – and stacked them out of harm's way.

The shelves quickly emptied and finally, Eobard stilled. He looked wrecked, shattered like Barry hadn't seen in a long, long time. He reached out and pulled his husband into his arms, holding him tight. "What's the matter? What happened?"

Eo clung to him. "I lost it. It's gone. It's nowhere to be found."

"What? What did you lose?"

"My wedding band. I - I don't know what happened to it. I never take it off. A hundred and sixty-three years and I've never taken it off. And it's our anniversary." Eo muttered into his shoulder, unaccountably overwrought.

Barry didn't know whether to laugh or cry at how such a simple intention had suddenly gone so wrong. Well, it was easy enough to fix. He pulled Eo to the couch – which had survived the storm – and sat them down.

"You didn't lose your wedding band. I took it."

Eo stared at him in shock. "What? Why?" 

"Remember the other day, when I asked you what you might like for our anniversary?"

"Yes - of course."

"I thought that maybe new bands would be nice – but not just any bands." He pulled out the pouch. "I wanted to have the gold from ones we've been wearing married into the new ones. I took your ring off this morning, while you were sleeping, and then went to Cisco and he made these for us."

Barry took Eo's hand and tipped the contents of the pouch into his husband's palm. The platinum glowed in the soft light and each band was bisected by a line of inlaid yellow gold – the gold from their original rings. "I was going to give these to you tonight, after dinner. I didn't realize how upset you'd be by losing your ring. I'm sorry."

Eo took a deep breath. "I overreacted. I knew the band was getting thin and worn out and I was going to say something to you about getting new ones. But those were ours and it didn't feel right to just replace them."

"That's why I wanted to use the metal in something new. And I wanted it to be a surprise."

Eo picked up one of the bands and examined it. "Cisco does beautiful work."

"Yes, he does."

"And there's an engraving?" 

Barry smiled and nodded.

Eo read it, _"Ani L'Dodi, v'Dodi Li."_

Barry translated the Hebrew, "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine."

Eo looked at him, his eyes glowing as he repeated a line from the vows they'd spoken so long ago. "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a gazelle or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices."

Barry leaned against his husband, and again whispered his apologies. "I am so sorry that I caused you such distress. 

"Your heart - as always - was in the perfect place. I just - " Eo shook his head. "You know that sometimes I still …" 

Barry kissed him. "I understand, you don't have to say anything else." He knew that Eo could never quite believe the life they lived, that it was real. He wondered if this was an effect of the paradox.

As Eo nuzzled against him, Barry asked, "Do you know what today is?"

"Other than our wedding anniversary?" 

"It's another anniversary, too."

Eo looked up, puzzled. "Oh?"

"I can't believe you don't know the date. It's 2187 - April twenty-third."

Eo blinked and rolled his head back as he made the connection. "Of course. Of course."

"You never kept track of that date?"

"No - I didn't want to. I didn't want to think about it at all. Not until the new year, not until every day of that year passed into history. But how did you know?"

"Gideon told me. It didn't consider that date an interference in the timeline, since I already knew what happened."

"So, you actually picked our wedding date to coincide with the date I traveled back in time for the last time?"

Barry nodded. "That's why we waited an extra year. I thought our guests would prefer a Saturday wedding."

Eo laughed and shook his head. "You, my husband, are crazy." His lips curved into a sweet smile. "But it's a madness I appreciate."

"Mmm, good. Because you're going to be with me for a very long time." Barry stroked Eo's cheek, loving everything about this complex and difficult man.

Eo picked up his right hand and rubbed his thumb along the paler line of skin, where his wedding band had been for so many decades. "I find myself bereft of words, Barry. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not wonder at your choice. But I could never argue against it. I just hope that you never feel that you made the wrong choice, that one day you look at me and find me wanting." Eobard slipped one of the new bands onto Barry's ring finger.

"Never. I know you, Eobard Thawne. I know the man you are, and you bring me joy. Every single day." Barry took the other ring and slipped it into place on his husband's hand. At that moment, the universe seemed to hang still, to hold its collective breath.

And then it exhaled and time continued to move forward. 

__

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> And as always, feel free to follow me at my tumblr [Obscene Circus Ponies](http://elrhiarhodan.tumblr.com/), and on my old school (and much beloved) [LiveJournal](http://elrhiarhodan.livejournal.com/) account.


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